Cast Out All Ills: Floor Cleanser

Commercial cleansers are chock full of chemicals and potential toxins so I urge you to rethink using them. Simple herbal DIY cleaners are much healthier for you and your loved ones and always smell more natural. Who doesn’t love the smell of lavender, citrus, and fresh mint?

Gather together

    * a ceramic bowl

    * hot water

    * 1 quart (1 liter) of white vinegar

    * 2 limes

    * 2 lemons

    * a handful of fresh mint

    * 6 drops lavender essential oil

    * a bucket

    * a clean mop

In a ceramic bowl, pour 2 cups (480ml) of hot water and half a cup (120ml) of lime and lemon juice, then add the fresh mint leaves and the lavender oil. Stir and let steep for a half hour, then strain out the leaves and compost them.

Take a clean bucket and fill it with two gallons of warm water, then pour in the essential oil mixture. Dip your mop into the bucket, wring it out, and clean the floor very thoroughly. Chant this charm as you use the mop:

    Nothing but health and happiness here

    Brightness and joy only remain in this sphere.

    Anything dark and ill, I cast you out!

    Harm to none, blessing throughout.

Inspired Clarity: Breath of the Gods Incense

Burn this mixture of incense on your altar to generate a positive and peaceful atmosphere to set the stage for your ritual. Rose hips and mint are for heart, enthusiasm, and keen thinking. The yellow candle, yellow rose, and the yellow citrine crystal are used to symbolize intelligence and mental clarity.

Gather together

• 1 tablespoon dried rose hips
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried mint
• a charcoal cake for burning incense
• a fireproof clay or glass dish
• a yellow candle
• neroli essential oil
• a yellow rose bud
• 1 cup (240ml) of fresh water in a bowl
• a citrine crystal

Timing: Perform this rite during the new moon, when the moon is dark and not visible.

Using your mortar and pestle, grind together the rose hips and the mint. Once they are nicely mixed, place the herbs on a piece of charcoal in a fireproof clay or glass dish. Light a yellow candle anointed with neroli oil and place a single yellow rose in a vase to one side of the incense burner. On the other side, place the bowl of water with the citrine crystal in it. Light the incense and breathe in. The word “inspire” comes from the Greek word for “breath of the gods,” so allow this divine essence to fill you with grace.

Lavender and Mint Energy Cleanser: Clearing Vibrational Clutter

In order to do any ritual work, you must first clear the clutter that can create blocks. Banish the old, bad energy from your house by following this spell. Make your energy-clearing tea by bringing four cups of water to a full rolling boil; remove from heat and add in four sprigs of fresh lavender and four sprigs of fresh mint. If it is winter and there is no access to fresh herbs, one tablespoon each of dried lavender and dried mint will do nicely. Steep the herbal tea covered for at least four minutes or as long as ten minutes if there is a lot of energetic clutter. Once it cools, dip your finger in the tea and sprinkle it throughout your home. If you feel the need to clear out any remaining clouds of psychic clutter, add diluted lavender mint tea water to your cleanser when you wash floors or surfaces. The scent of calm and clarity will lift the spirits of all who enter your space.

Herbal Clutter Busters

Sweetgrass: Native Americans have burned braided sheaves of sweetgrass for centuries. It is so scentful, it can even be wafted around as a wand to clear “energy without lighting it. Native folks also brew a tea from it to use as an astringent body and hair rinse; you can do this by steeping a tablespoon of the dried chopped sweetgrass for five minutes in a standard teapot or two cups of boiling water. It is also used as an adornment either woven into braids or as a crown. They go by the philosophy that “strong hair means a strong mind.” This power herb cleanses both body, soul, and your home, but its highest use is for rituals when you burn it to call forth the ancestors and send away anything unwanted.

Copal: Mexican and South American tribal healers and modern shamans gather this tree resin to employ as ceremonial incense throughout the year. You can still smell the sweetly pungent smoke of copal on the Day of the Dead as it helps us connect with our ancestors and loved ones who passed to the other side. While burning it is part of the ritual, it is also believed by shamans and healers to help tap into the spiritual realm. Copal also has the power to bring about total relaxation. As with other resins, burn it on a small disc of incense charcoal, which can be acquired at your local spiritual supply shop or botanica.

Palo Santo: This dried wood plays an important role in South American cultures, where it is burned to clear spaces of bad energy. It also activates a higher power in those who use it. Smelling the scent of Palo Santo clears out psychic clutter and purifies both you and your environment. It is said it literally burns away negative thoughts in your mind, a deeply powerful experience.

Blessings on a Budget

Instead of composting all the herbs, twigs, and stems from your brews, you can store them in a burlap or muslin sack and allow them to dry. Keep stuffing in twigs of lavender, rosemary, mint, and all the leftover aromatic plant material until you have a big bag. On some special evening, burn it in your fireplace or an outdoor bonfire, and it will be like a gigantic incense burner with the lovely scents wafting from the flames. And the best part? It’s 100 percent free!

Miracle Mint Foot Therapy

After a long day at the office, hiking, or even dancing at your drum circle, our feet get “dog tired.” This pagan pick-me-up will soon have you out and about, feeling fresh and fabulous.

You need:

• Mortar and pestle
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened in a small bowl
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, either white or apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops mint essential oil
• Handful of fresh mint leaves, crushed

Place the coconut oil paste in the bowl and fold in the crushed mint leaves. Grind the mint leaves into the coconut thoroughly with your mortar and pestle. Add in the vinegar and the essential oil. Stir those in, then spoon the mixture into a small jar and place it in your freezer for five minutes. Sit in the side of the tub and gently massage the mint mix into your feet, giving every toe and heel lots of loving attention. Take your time, as your feet do so much work all day, every day. When you are satisfied, rinse your feet clean in the shower, carefully making sure not to slip on the coconut oil. Now, you deserve to put your feet up and just enjoy life. 

Harvesting Joy: Your Herb Garden

Basil is beloved because it’s so delectable and versatile. It is easily grown in pots. Take care to remove the growing tip when the plants are six inches (fifteen cm) high for bushier growth. Plant out in the garden when the weather gets warmer. Basil prefers full sun and a sheltered spot.

Chives come from the onion family and have slim, pointed leaves. You should sow seeds directly in the ground in early spring, late March or April. Chives grow best in a sunny spot with rich soil, so keep the plants watered. Chives produce pretty, perfectly round flowers in either purple or pink. Gorgeous in the garden and palatable on the plate, the chive plant is a marvelous cooking herb and one that is truly easy to grow.

Coriander is a very versatile herb for the kitchen and grows well in the garden or in pots. Seeds can take weeks to germinate and the plants are fairly short-lived, so sow seeds every few weeks to get you through the season. Coriander is a bit fussy and can “bolt” when stressed, which means it produces flowers and seeds and not enough of the flavorful leaves. You need to make sure it is well watered and reap regularly before it goes to seed.

Mint is a marvel. It spreads beautifully once it has really taken root. If space is a concern, plant your mint in pots to contain the roots and stop it taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth.

Oregano loves a Mediterranean clime. Plant yours in warm, sunny spots with light soil. Oregano has pretty pink flowers and makes great ground cover at the front of borders. Don’t allow this herb to get too tall; make sure to pinch it back, and you’ll get more of this tasty treat to harvest.

Parsley is the gift that gives for two years. This herb can be slow to germinate; try soaking the seeds in water overnight before planting as this will speed it up. The best place to grow parsley is in rich, moist soil in full sun or partial shade.

Rosemary is useful for so many culinary and healing teas and brews. Lucky for us, it grows vigorously. Rosemary can be trimmed in early summer to keep it in shape and stop it getting too woody. The scent is so wonderful in dishes and in bath salts, too!

Sage doesn’t like wet ground, so plant it in a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil. There are several sage varieties to choose from, including some with colored leaves. Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more to grow. This versatile herb is a major culinary pleasure.

Thyme is a cousin of mint but grows much lower to the ground; it is one of the most fragrant of herbs and really adds flavor as a culinary seasoning. Plant this to remove melancholy from your home and garden. If your front yard and door get afternoon sun, plant wooly thyme and you’ll come home after work to a perfume paradise that will immediately lend cheer and comfort.

All of these herbs will grow happily in containers on a patio, balcony, or even on the kitchen windowsill. Start an herb garden this year and you’ll never look back.

Mint Refreshes Body and Mind

Another useful herb is mint, which comes from the Latin menthe, which literally means thought. Mint is so easily grown that a little bunch in the backyard can go on to become a scentful, attractive groundcover. It is also called the flower of eternal refreshment. Woven into a wreath, it bestows brilliance, artistic inspiration, and prophetic ability. As a tea, it accomplishes miracles of calming the stomach and the mind at the same time.

Mint Money Bags (Moon in Taurus, Cancer or Capricorn)

Rather than chasing money or possessions, you can simply draw them toward you with wisdom from days gone by. A tiny green pouch filled with the herbs chamomile and mint, three cinnamon sticks, one silver dollar and a green stone—peridot or a smooth mossy-colored pebble of jade—would be perfect. The untrained eye might perceive this as a bag of weeds and rocks but any kitchen witch knows this is a powerful tool for creating powerful change into your life and attracting good fortune.

Prepare your attraction pouch during a waxing moon; the strongest power would be when the sun or moon is in Taurus, Cancer or Capricorn. Hold the pouch over frankincense incense and as the smoke blesses the bag, you speak:

The moon is a silver coin; this I know.
I carry lunar magic with me everywhere I go. 
Blessings upon thee and me as my abundance grows.

Carry this power pouch with you as you go about your way—to work, to the store, on your daily walks, to social events. Soon, blessings will shower down upon you. You might even receive a gift or literally find money in your path.

Ready, Set, Go Spell

On a Monday, or any day you need to ready yourself for important events, meetings, or anything high-pressure, set aside a half-hour of quiet time and brew up some willpower to help you in any creative endeavors. Light a white candle anointed with peppermint oil and light spicy incense (cinnamon works well, if you can get it).

Take a sprig of mint, warm milk, and cinnamon sticks and stir together clockwise in a white mug. Say aloud:

Herb of minthe and spicy mead, 
Today is the day I shall succeed 
In every word and every deed. 
So mote it be.

Quaff the cup and “sit for a spell,” eyes closed, envisioning your new horizons. Keep the cinnamon sticks on your altar as a symbol of the power of encouraging words.

Sweet Dreams: Do It Yourself House Magic

Tranquil sleep and pleasant, illuminating dreams are the surest sign you have achieved peace of mind. An enchantment pillow will ensure you experience your fair share of nocturnal reverie and wake up refreshed. Take a pink satin pillowcase and stuff it with well-mixed dried rose petals, chamomile, mint and woolly thyme. Sew it with purple thread and, before the final stitch, whisper:

I call upon the powers of the Night to watch over me,
To hear my heart’s desires and bring me what my soul requires. 

Blessings to one and all.

Knot the final stitch three times, place the pillow inside your pillowcase, and kiss the pillow. If you have been having problems sleeping, that will end this night.

Bay Leaf Money Magic

Harvest several leaves from your neighborhood Bay laurel tree—or just from the space rack in your cupboard—and place them inside a clear bowl on your altar overnight. In the morning, remove the leaves and let them dry in your kitchen window. Touch the water to your fingertips and touch your purse, wallet and anywhere you keep money. If you handle money at your workplace, bottle some of the bay leaf water in a tiny jar and do the same. Once the soaked leaves have dried, place in your wallet, purse and pockets, and it will attract money to you and yours. (It also repels thieves and loss of wealth.) You can also put some bay leaves in your desk at home or work to enhance prosperity for your employer, or before asking for a raise. Thursdays are the ideal day for this but try this anytime the need arises!

Prosperity herbs and plants: bay leaf, bayberry, basil, chamomile, cloves, cinnamon, honeysuckle, Irish moss, mint, strawberry leaves, Tonka beans

Ready, Set, Go Spell

On a Monday, or any day you need to ready yourself for important events, meetings, or anything high-pressure, set aside a half-hour of quiet time and brew up some willpower to help you in any creative endeavors. Light a white candle anointed with peppermint oil and light spicy incense (cinnamon works well, if you can get it).

Take a sprig of mint, warm milk, and cinnamon sticks and stir together clockwise in a white mug.

Say aloud:
Herb of minthe and spicy mead,
Today is the day I shall succeed
In every word and every deed.
So mote it be.

Quaff the cup and “sit for a spell,” eyes closed, envisioning your new horizons. Keep the cinnamon sticks on your altar as a symbol of the power of encouraging words.